IDF says Central Command conducting exercise testing readiness for ‘extreme scenarios’

By Emanuel Fabian

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25 January 2026, 2:53 pm Edit

Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent

IDF Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, right, speaks with soldiers in the West Bank, in a handout photo provided on November 12, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

The IDF’s Central Command launched a pre-planned exercise this morning aimed at improving its readiness for “extreme scenarios,” the military says.

The Central Command is responsible for the West Bank and most of the border with Jordan.

The IDF says the drill involves several divisions and the Civil Administration — a branch of the Defense Ministry’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), which manages civilian affairs in the West Bank.

In addition to improving readiness, the military says the drill is also examining “the optimal execution of operational processes from the command level up to the General Staff.”